Developing device including refill operation

Abstract

A developing device is refilled with an initial developer while the developing device and a photoreceptor are maintained within an image forming apparatus in the same state as in an image forming process. When refilling the developing device, a control unit of the image forming apparatus first drives a stirring feed member (screw) to feed the initial developer into the developing device, and then drives a developer carrier (developing roller) and a latent image carrier (photoreceptor) to supply the developer onto the developer carrier.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a developing device including:
 a developer feed path, 
 a stirring feed path, 
 a stirring feed member that stirs a developer in the stirring feed path to feed the developer into the developer feed path, 
 a developer carrier, and 
 a supply port for supplying the developer; 
 
 a latent image carrier positioned so as to face the developer carrier; and 
 a control unit configured to control a refill operation for refilling the developing device with an initial developer, while maintaining the developing device and the latent image carrier inside the image forming apparatus in a same state as in an image forming process, 
 wherein when refilling the developing device with the initial developer, the control unit first drives the stirring feed member to feed the initial developer from the supply port into the stirring feed path before being fed into the developer feed path of the developing device, and then drives the developer carrier and the latent image carrier to supply the initial developer onto the developer carrier. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the refill operation such that the feeding of the initial developer into the developing device is finished before the developer carrier and the latent image carrier are driven. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the latent image carrier is driven after the developer carrier is driven. 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the developing device further has a surplus developer outlet port for discharging an excessive quantity of the developer from the developer feed path depending on a level of the developer in the developer feed path, and
 wherein the control unit controls the refill operation so as not to discharge the initial developer during the refill operation. 
 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the developing device further has a discharge feed path for transferring discharged developer out of the developing device and a discharge feed member, and
 wherein the control unit does not drive the discharge feed member during the refill operation. 
 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the developing device further has a discharge feed path for transferring discharged developer out of the developing device and a discharge feed member, and
 wherein the control unit drives the discharge feed member in a direction opposite to a direction of the image forming process. 
 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the developing device includes a surplus developer outlet port for discharging an excessive quantity of developer depending on a level of the developer in the developer feed path. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply port is provided above the stirring feed path, and adjacent to the developer feed path along a longitudinal axis of the developing device. 
     
     
       9. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the developing device further includes a toner concentration sensor, and
 wherein the control unit drives the developer carrier after driving the stirring feed member when the toner concentration sensor detects a toner concentration of the initial developer has reached a predetermined toner concentration. 
 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus further includes a timer, and
 wherein the control unit drives the developer carrier after driving the stirring feed member when the timer counts a predetermined time from a start of the refill operation. 
 
     
     
       11. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein rotation of the developer carrier is started after the initial developer is supplied into the developing device with the supply port and during the supply of the initial developer onto the developer carrier. 
     
     
       12. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the supply port is located along a longitudinal axis of the developing device entirely outside of a width of the developer carrier that extends along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a developing device including:
 a developer feed path, 
 a stirring feed member for stirring and feeding a developer in the developer feed path, 
 a developer carrier, and 
 a surplus developer outlet port for discharging an excessive quantity of the developer from the developer feed path depending on a level of the developer in the developer feed path; 
 
 a latent image carrier positioned so as to face the developer carrier, and 
 a control unit configured to control a refill operation for refilling the developing device with an initial developer, while maintaining the developing device and the latent image carrier inside the image forming apparatus in a same state as in an image forming process, 
 wherein when refilling the developing device with the initial developer, the control unit first drives the stirring feed member to feed the initial developer into the developing device, and then drives the developer carrier and the latent image carrier to supply the initial developer onto the developer carrier, and 
 wherein the control unit controls the refill operation so as not to discharge the initial developer during the refill operation. 
 
     
     
       14. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the developing device further has a discharge feed path for transferring discharged developer out of the developing device and a discharge feed member, and
 wherein the control unit does not drive the discharge feed member during the refill operation. 
 
     
     
       15. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the developing device further has a discharge feed path for transferring discharged developer out of the developing device and a discharge feed member, and
 wherein the control unit drives the discharge feed member in a direction opposite to a direction during the image forming process.